Emma Watson Cuts Hair For Dragon Tattoo Role?

Emma Watson’s radical new haircut could be an attempt to land one of the most sought-after roles in Hollywood, that of computer hacker Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Watson dispensed with her long, curly hair (synonymous with her character in the Harry Potter franchise, Hermione Granger) and opted for a shorter crop.

Watson, who is Hollywood’s highest paid actress, is believed to have auditioned for the role this week. “Emma has auditioned with director David Fincher and cut her hair to look the part,” an insider told The Sun. “The character of Lisbeth is a misfit goth-type girl with spikey hair.”

Watson will face stiff competition from the likes of Juno’s Ellen Page, Star Wars’ Natalie Portman, An Education’s Carey Mulligan, and Twilight’s Kristen Stewart, though Stewart and Portman have distanced themselves from the project with Mulligan perceived as “too clean-cut”.

The role sees Salander engage in sex scenes with men and women, and would be a far cry from portraying Hogwarts’ star student Hermione. Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club) will direct, with Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) starring as Mikael Blomkvist and Stellan Skarsgård set to portray Martin Vanger.